No on Measure L Part 2

(This is the second part of a blog. Here is a link to part one.)

Perhaps most damning of all is Jerry Heverly’s evaluation of our public schools. As a teacher at San Leandro High School, Mr. Heverly is well aware of the burdens facing educators beyond budget woes, issues that have taken root both in the homes of students and within the very structure of our educational system. “Failure is widespread” wrote Mr. Heverly of the performance of his students up to the end of this grading period, noting “it’s like this every year”.

The district continues to insist that it all comes down to money, yet no matter how much San Leandrans provide there never seems to be any bones to attach all this meat to. As Mr. Heverly asked, where are the solutions? Our initial investment from Measure B and M has yielded an API score of 738 out of 1000 in the 2011-2012 school year. Though 800 was the state target, the numbers woefully betray the fact that San Leandro is clinging to being average.

I doubt that low test scores are what any San Leandran was hoping for when they bought into the district’s claims that things would get better once we funded M and B. Our leadership in district office seems to think it’s more important to focus resources on funding a free clinic as opposed to solving the problems in our classrooms. If our teachers in the classroom are directionless, what good will buying them a GPS be if they don‘t even know where they‘re going in the first place?

Measure L will continue the district’s trend of poor planning and fiscal irresponsibility. Don’t buy once more into the district’s quick-fix mentality that never pans out. Low test scores and a lack of leadership are undermining our schools and our students’ potential. Tell the SLUSD no and demand fundamental changes to how this district and the state handles education. Vote no on Measure L.